University of East Anglia scientist Mette Mogensen has received £100,000 from charity Breast Cancer Campaign to look more into a protein that could play a key role in the spread of breast cancer.

Each year, almost 800 women in Norfolk are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 200 die from it. Dr Mogensen suspects that EB2 could be helping breast cancer to spread.

During the three-year project, the team of scientists will shed light on how it may play a role in breast cancer cells invading other parts of the body.

Katherine Woods, of Breast Cancer Campaign, said: “Dr Mogensen and her team’s research could bring us one step closer to our goal that, by 2020, 25pc fewer people will develop secondary breast cancer.”